DR1 - The 2012 FIVB World League, the men`s equivalent of the women`s Grand Prix volleyball competitions, will be played 15 June to 17 June at the Ricardo Arias Volleyball Pavilion in Santo Domingo. The event is being held in 16 countries from 18 May to 8 July 2012. Pool A is competing in Santo Domingo with the teams Russia, Cuba, Serbia and Japan that seek to qualify to play in the final World Championship Cup of the 2012 FIVB World League, a preparatory event for the London Olympics.
The FIVB World League is the longest and richest of all the international events organized by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The tournament is annual.
The games are:
15 June. Serbia vs. Russia (5pm)
15 June. Cuba vs. Japan (7:30pm)
16 June. Japan vs. Russia (5pm)
16 June. Serbia vs. Cuba (7:30pm)
17 June. Japan vs. Serbia (2:30pm)
17 June Cuba vs. Russia (5pm)
For more on upcoming events, see Read original at DR1.

DR1 - The Commissioner for Dominican Culture in the United States announces a talk on the Impact of Mega-Mine Methods to Extract Gold in the Ecology of the Dominican Republic, and another on the Gautier Cement Plan for San Pedro de Macoris on Friday, 15 June 2012 at 6:30pm. The event will take place at 541 W 145th Street, second Floor, New York New York.
The presentation will focus on 12 gold mining companies that are using the megamine and cyanide method for gold processing. Experts consider gold mining as the biggest threat to the environment, ecology and economy since the days of the arrival of the Spanish.
Speakers at the event include Domingo Abreu Collado, coordinator of the National Environmental Assembly (ANA) and director of the Ministry of Environment`s speleology division.
For background on impact of gold mine processing in the DR in English, see Read original at DR1.

DR1 - Starting in mid-July, Esta noche con Mariasela will be back on Channel 9, Color Vision with a 10:30-11:30pm program every day. She promises a change from her previous TV show, which ran until 2005 when she moved to Spain with her husband, hotelier Alberto Pino and lived there for seven years working in Spanish TV with Las Joyas (Telecinco). Now divorced, she returns home to again produce her variety show.
Mariasela Alvarez was the DR`s first and only Miss World in 1982. As Miss World she visited 18 countries and 30 cities. An architecture graduate, she has worked mostly in TV. The leading female variety show hosts in the DR are Milagros German, Luz Garcia, Jatnna Tavarez and Tania Baez. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - Dominican guitarist Roger de la Rosa has won the prestigious four-year Michel Camilo-Berklee College scholarship. The scholarship also has funding from Orange Dominicana.
Other Dominican musicians winning partial scholarships are percussionist Vladimir Norberto, flautist Gabriela Gomez (sonata for flute by Poulenc, Angel Eyes), guitarist Radhames Acosta (gaga mixed with Coltrane and All the Things You are by Jerome Kern) and pianist Ulises Alberto (Rachmaninoff`s Piano Concerto No. 3). Mirna Ortiz and Aida de Moya received scholarships for summer music courses.
The scholarships cover US$610,000 in tuition and expenses.
The open audition was held at the Sala de la Cultura of the National Theater last week with a jury chaired by Camilo, which included Berklee professors Greg Badolato, Tod Olivieri and Janson Camelio.
Commenting on the audition, Camilo said it again confirmed what is already known, that there is so much local talent.
Camilo said that he is booked for an appearance at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York on 27 June and at the Saratoga Springs Festival on 30 June. He will also be performing in Europe later in the summer, and then in Colombia and Venezuela in fall, with a tour with the Euskadi Orchestra he will be back in Europe in October. In November, he goes on tour in Japan with Spanish guitarist Tomatito.
Interestingly, just a month before De la Rosa`s sister, percussionist Helen de la Rosa had won the full President`s Music Scholarship for four years of music education abroad. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) says that the low-pressure trough over Haiti will bring some humidity and possible showers, but that high temperatures will continue to dominate the weather in the Dominican Republic. The east/southeasterly winds will continue to pump heat over the country, but scattered showers are expected over the Central Mountains and in the northwest, southwest, southeast and along the border. Tomorrow, Wednesday 13 June, the tropical wave that is located over the Lesser Antilles will approach our territory, increasing the cloud cover and the chances of thunderstorms and rainfall. These conditions are expected to continue into Wednesday. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - The authorities have seized &pound;241,605 (pounds sterling) that was going to be brought into the country without being declared in Customs. Guillermina Polanco Herrera had arrived at Las Americas International Airport (AILA) on an Air Europa flight when customs officers discovered the large amount of cash in her luggage and informed the DNCD.
Domingo Burgos Toribio, Jose Alejandro Ramon Noesi and Yaraset Cortorreal Celedonio were arrested as accomplices. The DNCD says they awaited the arrival of the woman. They are under investigation to determine the origin of the funds and to establish whether this is another money laundering operation. The three were traveling in two vehicles and the authorities found a 9mm gun and RD$35,000 in cash along with several cell phones in the vehicles. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - A Cosanca company tanker laden with 10,000 gallons of fuel oil veered to the side and blocked traffic on two lanes in each direction of the Duarte Highway yesterday, Monday 11 June. As reported, the driver lost control and the tanker fell sideways, obstructing traffic on the highway yesterday and causing hour-long traffic jams. The accident occurred near the traffic light before the tollbooth in the south-north direction. Firefighters and Metropolitan Transport Authority brigades helped organize traffic at the site of the accident. The driver and his assistant were taken to the Pedro Brand hospital but did not suffer serious injuries. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - The internal crisis that has shaken the PRD can only be resolved if sectors from civil society, headed by Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, take on the task of mediating between the warring factions, says the director of the Department of Political Science at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Freddy Angel Castro. Castro is advocating for the talks to save the PRD from splitting.
In the past, internal conflicts have been resolved with the creation of new parties. Thus, the ruling PLD emerged when Juan Bosch split from the party, Jacobo Majluta left to form his own La Estructura, and likewise, Hatuey de Camps left to form the PRSD. In number of votes received in the past presidential election, the PRD is the country`s largest political party.
"One of the possible roads is that they could create a negotiation commission, of conciliation, sponsored by Nunez Collado and other leading figures, because Dominican society itself does not need the destruction of its party system," he stated.
Commenting on the decision by the Higher Electoral Court (TSE) on the suspension of the meeting of the National Executive Committee (CEN), convened by former President Hipolito Mejia and his followers, he said "the court acted in excess of the demands as it spoke out on what was at that time a probable convocation, due to the fact that it is not in their competence to impede the functioning of the organs of a party. "
The PRD is split between the factions that back Hipolito Mejia, the party`s presidential candidate in the 2012 election, and Miguel Vargas, the party`s president. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - Laura Castellanos and Angelina Reveiro met with the Chamber of Deputies labor commission yesterday, Monday 11 June to explain that high taxation is one of the reasons why more than half the businesses in the Dominican Republic operate in the informal sector. The young businesswomen met with the deputies who are reviewing the bill aimed at creating the Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation law, presented by deputy David Collado (National District PRD). The businesswomen said that the bill includes incentives for entrepreneurs, like the elimination of the pre-payments that create cash flow problems for businesses, and a special income tax exemption on the first three years of operation so that the company can have flexibility in its first years. The law would not be retroactive, and would only apply to new companies. Reveiro said that unfortunately any company in the DR could collapse in its first five years due to high taxation.
Also under study in the Chamber of Deputies is the bill for the first job for young people. Maria de Lourdes Cabrera, coordinator of jobs for the Ministry of Labor, said that 30% of young people are looking for jobs and cannot find them. The bill seeks to encourage companies to hire young people. Read original at DR1.

DR1 - The president of the board of the Hospital Plaza de la Salud, the country`s largest medical center, said the country has a deficit of more than 200,000 units of blood. Dr. Julio Amado Castanos Guzman, a hematologist himself, said that there is a need to develop a culture of donating blood among citizens. He described it as a civic duty, an act of solidarity and citizen commitment. He explained that the country`s high maternal mortality rate is often caused by hemorrhages as a complication during childbirth. Another major cause of death is blood loss following traffic accidents.
The doctor called for a blood donor culture to be promoted and encouraged in the National District and across the country. He said that university students needed to be encouraged to donate blood, because they are excellent candidates. For more information on donating blood, call 809 227-9295 Ext 1116/1119 at Plaza de la Salud. Read original at DR1.